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The best Pixar film?
I have recently purchased a ‘100 Movies Bucket List’ scratch off poster, with the intention of finally crossing off all of the classic films I’ve never seen before. However with the current and ongoing COVID lockdowns, now seemed like a perfect time to watch all of the 100 films on this list including those I know and love. These will be watched in no particular order, and will be highly dependent on my mood and film availability. First on my list is Up.
Up (2009) is a Disney/Pixar animation that follows widower Carl, as he, his house and intrepid wilderness explorer Russell go on an adventure to Paradise Falls.
Up is definitely “up” there as one of the best ever Disney/Pixar films, if not THE best. It has all of the hallmarks that you’d come to expect from such a film and they are executed to perfection. From the opening sequence, which is by far one of the most heartwarming and heart-wrenching things you will ever watch (and this is coming from a studio that killed Bambi’s mother). If you’re not bawling your eyes out after the first 15 minutes, there is something seriously wrong with you.
Once we’ve recovered from the opening scenes, we’re introduced to Carl the widower (Ed Asher) and he’s still tugging on the old heart strings as he goes about his life on his own. He’s your typical grouchy old man, in a rather funny and adorable way, and watching his interactions with others is both sad and entertaining to watch. After a rather unfortunate event, Carl takes his house to the skies and it’s here where the film really starts to get going with stowaway Russell, as they arrive in Paradise Falls and encounter mysterious bird of paradise Kevin, Charles Muntz and his dogs.
As soon as Carl sets off on his journey, this becomes a spirited and fun adventure film. There is never a dull moment and is full of wonder, joy and a fair few laughs, as well as a surprising amount of dark tension generated by famous explorer Muntz (Christopher Plummer). For a kids film, Muntz is an unusually threatening figure and the fear of him is only exacerbated by the fact that half of this film is set at a quite a scary height. Even during the fight scene with Carl towards the end of the movie, Muntz is still intimidating despite the very amusing nods to old age that are thrown in.
For me though, the star (and stars) of Up are Dug and Muntz’s pack of dogs. Disney/Pixar have this amazing knack of writing funny sidekick animals, with the majority of laughs coming from simple observations about how these animals behave in real life (something The Secret Life of Pets should have take more notice of). Up so easily works dogs being dogs into the narrative of this story with ease, and talking dogs are just so funny. From the cone of shame to their attitude towards squirrels and tennis balls, and the fact that they refer to Russell as “the small mailman” – this is pure genius and makes me laugh no matter how many times I see it.
Disney/Pixar films fall into two categories: Very Good and Brilliant. Up has what all Disney/Pixar films have – a wonderfully balanced story full of adult and child appropriate laughs and heartwarming emotional ‘feels’, and some top notch animation. But what brings Up into the “Brilliant” category is it is a beautiful tale of love and friendship, with a touching and rather moving message about life. This is a classic tale that is done flawlessly in a way that only Disney/Pixar can.
Note: whilst I love the film, I’m so far not impressed with my poster itself. Scratched it as you would a scratch card and part of the picture has come off (see attached evidence)… best be more careful next time.
Up (2009) is a Disney/Pixar animation that follows widower Carl, as he, his house and intrepid wilderness explorer Russell go on an adventure to Paradise Falls.
Up is definitely “up” there as one of the best ever Disney/Pixar films, if not THE best. It has all of the hallmarks that you’d come to expect from such a film and they are executed to perfection. From the opening sequence, which is by far one of the most heartwarming and heart-wrenching things you will ever watch (and this is coming from a studio that killed Bambi’s mother). If you’re not bawling your eyes out after the first 15 minutes, there is something seriously wrong with you.
Once we’ve recovered from the opening scenes, we’re introduced to Carl the widower (Ed Asher) and he’s still tugging on the old heart strings as he goes about his life on his own. He’s your typical grouchy old man, in a rather funny and adorable way, and watching his interactions with others is both sad and entertaining to watch. After a rather unfortunate event, Carl takes his house to the skies and it’s here where the film really starts to get going with stowaway Russell, as they arrive in Paradise Falls and encounter mysterious bird of paradise Kevin, Charles Muntz and his dogs.
As soon as Carl sets off on his journey, this becomes a spirited and fun adventure film. There is never a dull moment and is full of wonder, joy and a fair few laughs, as well as a surprising amount of dark tension generated by famous explorer Muntz (Christopher Plummer). For a kids film, Muntz is an unusually threatening figure and the fear of him is only exacerbated by the fact that half of this film is set at a quite a scary height. Even during the fight scene with Carl towards the end of the movie, Muntz is still intimidating despite the very amusing nods to old age that are thrown in.
For me though, the star (and stars) of Up are Dug and Muntz’s pack of dogs. Disney/Pixar have this amazing knack of writing funny sidekick animals, with the majority of laughs coming from simple observations about how these animals behave in real life (something The Secret Life of Pets should have take more notice of). Up so easily works dogs being dogs into the narrative of this story with ease, and talking dogs are just so funny. From the cone of shame to their attitude towards squirrels and tennis balls, and the fact that they refer to Russell as “the small mailman” – this is pure genius and makes me laugh no matter how many times I see it.
Disney/Pixar films fall into two categories: Very Good and Brilliant. Up has what all Disney/Pixar films have – a wonderfully balanced story full of adult and child appropriate laughs and heartwarming emotional ‘feels’, and some top notch animation. But what brings Up into the “Brilliant” category is it is a beautiful tale of love and friendship, with a touching and rather moving message about life. This is a classic tale that is done flawlessly in a way that only Disney/Pixar can.
Note: whilst I love the film, I’m so far not impressed with my poster itself. Scratched it as you would a scratch card and part of the picture has come off (see attached evidence)… best be more careful next time.
The Long Way Home (Coming Home #1)
7.0
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Louise (64 KP) rated After Alice in Books
Jul 2, 2018
After Alice by Gregory Maguire is told from two alternating point of views, we hear from Ada who is briefly mentioned in Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll as one of Alice’s friends and from her older sister Lydia. Ada is setting off to deliver a package to her neighbours when she manages to escape the clutches of her housekeeper and accidentally falls into the world of Wonderland, and so, begins her mission to find Alice.
I thought this was going to be more of a retelling when I requested it, but it’s more of a sequel from other perspectives. Lydia’s point of view gives more of a background into their family life and the Victorian society, with even some famous names added into the mix.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and was hoping this would have a bit of a spin on it. The writing is very ‘Wordy’ so be prepared to get a dictionary out and the world building was a bit wishy washy, some bits were good and others I just couldn’t imagine. As well as the normal characters like the White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat there were additional characters added, which was interesting and they felt right in the world of Wonderland.
I was very bored reading this book and it seemed all a bit pointless,I was expecting so much more from the man who created Wicked!
I rated this 2 out of 5 stars
I thought this was going to be more of a retelling when I requested it, but it’s more of a sequel from other perspectives. Lydia’s point of view gives more of a background into their family life and the Victorian society, with even some famous names added into the mix.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and was hoping this would have a bit of a spin on it. The writing is very ‘Wordy’ so be prepared to get a dictionary out and the world building was a bit wishy washy, some bits were good and others I just couldn’t imagine. As well as the normal characters like the White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat there were additional characters added, which was interesting and they felt right in the world of Wonderland.
I was very bored reading this book and it seemed all a bit pointless,I was expecting so much more from the man who created Wicked!
I rated this 2 out of 5 stars
Otway93 (580 KP) rated When the Wind Blows (1986) in Movies
Dec 28, 2019 (Updated Dec 28, 2019)
Plot (3 more)
Animation
Soundtrack
Voice acting
A terrifying yet emotional masterpiece.
Contains spoilers, click to show
After many years of wanting to see this film, and building up my expectations, today I finally saw it, and was far from disappointed.
This Raymond Briggs' feature length animation tells the tale of an elderly couple (voiced by Sir John Mills and Dane Peggy Ashcroft) in the country trying to survive in the aftermath of a nuclear strike, with only the real life UK nuclear survival pamphlet "Protect and Survive" to help them.
This film is not for the faint of heart, and realistically should probably not have a PG rating, as the couples experiences with radiation sickness are rather graphic and are more than likely to upset younger audiences (it upset me, and I'm 26!).
The animation is beautiful, as it is with every Raymond Briggs' film, but with a difference as it does often mix stop-motion and classic animation to make something quite haunting and very special, with other "special sequences" reminiscent of Pink Floyd's The Wall.
And last but not least: the soundtrack. With a title track performed by David Bowie, you already know it's going to be good. But the score (written by Roger Waters of Pink Floyd) is also incredible, yet again very reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Blue Sky"...again from "The Wall". With additional music by Squeeze, Paul Hardcastle and Hugh Cornwell, this makes it a pleasure to listen to.
Overall, an aural, visual and emotional rollercoaster, but not for the faint hearted.
Remember those last few words, not for the faint hearted!
This Raymond Briggs' feature length animation tells the tale of an elderly couple (voiced by Sir John Mills and Dane Peggy Ashcroft) in the country trying to survive in the aftermath of a nuclear strike, with only the real life UK nuclear survival pamphlet "Protect and Survive" to help them.
This film is not for the faint of heart, and realistically should probably not have a PG rating, as the couples experiences with radiation sickness are rather graphic and are more than likely to upset younger audiences (it upset me, and I'm 26!).
The animation is beautiful, as it is with every Raymond Briggs' film, but with a difference as it does often mix stop-motion and classic animation to make something quite haunting and very special, with other "special sequences" reminiscent of Pink Floyd's The Wall.
And last but not least: the soundtrack. With a title track performed by David Bowie, you already know it's going to be good. But the score (written by Roger Waters of Pink Floyd) is also incredible, yet again very reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Blue Sky"...again from "The Wall". With additional music by Squeeze, Paul Hardcastle and Hugh Cornwell, this makes it a pleasure to listen to.
Overall, an aural, visual and emotional rollercoaster, but not for the faint hearted.
Remember those last few words, not for the faint hearted!
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Honey Boy (2019) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
392. Honey Boy. A story about a boy, who's dad made a living off him, by pimping him out to Hollywood, ensuring he would grow up to be a weirdo, the Shia LeBeouf story. Ok, it's written by him, oh and it stars him as Tom Cruise's character from Born on the Fourth of July, only he's not in a wheel chair, he has a son. Dad, James and son, Otis live in a motel, close by the movie studios where Otis is a child actor, doing child actor things...insert Corey Feldman stories here... while his dad, lives off him, and doing other shady things and not being a good dad, and how the two deal with that. Movie also tells the tale of twenty-something Otis, and his adult acting life is... insert Shia LeBeouf stories here... where he relives the memories we are watching. Guy who plays older Otis, Lucas Hedges, has LeBeouf's super annoying way of aggressive, spit-talking and mannerisms down pact, even though it's not supposed to be him in the first place...ooops. I really did enjoy the movie I just felt there were several places where I felt the filmmakers were patting themselves on the back, saying to themselves 'yea man, this is deep. stretch this out a little longer, man, really show that this 12 year old boy's relationship with the prostitute across the way is beautiful, not creepy in any way at all.' Worth the watch, check it out! Filmbufftim on FB
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Variant Lost (The Evelyn Maynard Trilogy #1) in Books
Jan 3, 2021
1 of 250
Kindle
Variant Lost ( The Evelyn Maynard Trilogy book 1)
By Kaydence Snow
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
When Evelyn Maynard receives a scholarship to the exclusive Bradford Hills Institute, she’s determined to make a fresh start. The Institute is world renowned for educating and training Variants – the 18% of the population fortunate enough to have superhuman abilities. As a human, she’s lucky to be admitted.
She’s done with fake identities, running and lying but once again she finds herself surrounded by secrets.
Some she’s been keeping her whole life.
Some have been kept from her.
Some she finds herself dragged into…
Ethan, Josh, Tyler and Alec have some of the rarest Variant abilities Evelyn has ever seen. They fascinate, intrigue and attract her, but is it their abilities, their own secrets or something more that Evelyn can’t seem to stay away from? The secrets they keep could drag Evelyn so deep into their dangerous and exciting world that she’ll never be the same.
And the answers she finds could get them all killed.
I could not put this book down! It’s 4am in the morning and I needed to finish it! Been a while since a book has gripped and kept me completely enthralled. I love the whole idea of the book I think the characters are brilliant! Also an author not scared to kill of characters you’ve come to like so much! Really good start to a new year and a new book challenge!
Kindle
Variant Lost ( The Evelyn Maynard Trilogy book 1)
By Kaydence Snow
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
When Evelyn Maynard receives a scholarship to the exclusive Bradford Hills Institute, she’s determined to make a fresh start. The Institute is world renowned for educating and training Variants – the 18% of the population fortunate enough to have superhuman abilities. As a human, she’s lucky to be admitted.
She’s done with fake identities, running and lying but once again she finds herself surrounded by secrets.
Some she’s been keeping her whole life.
Some have been kept from her.
Some she finds herself dragged into…
Ethan, Josh, Tyler and Alec have some of the rarest Variant abilities Evelyn has ever seen. They fascinate, intrigue and attract her, but is it their abilities, their own secrets or something more that Evelyn can’t seem to stay away from? The secrets they keep could drag Evelyn so deep into their dangerous and exciting world that she’ll never be the same.
And the answers she finds could get them all killed.
I could not put this book down! It’s 4am in the morning and I needed to finish it! Been a while since a book has gripped and kept me completely enthralled. I love the whole idea of the book I think the characters are brilliant! Also an author not scared to kill of characters you’ve come to like so much! Really good start to a new year and a new book challenge!
Hide In Place
8.0
Rate It
Book
She left the NYPD in the firestorm of a high-profile case gone horribly wrong. Three years later,...
Thriller
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The First Shot ( Last Mrs Parish book 0.5) in Books
Feb 10, 2022
25 of 230
Kindle
The First Shot ( Last Mrs Parish 0.5)
By Liv Constantine
In this gripping prequel to the blockbuster best seller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish, listeners will discover exactly how Amber Patterson transformed from small-town girl to master manipulator - after all, practice makes perfect.
Amber Patterson has many secrets. This much is clear when she sneaks out of her home in the dead of night and hitchhikes across state lines to meet up with a man she hasn’t seen or spoken to since high school graduation. So begins her desperate attempt to leave her old life behind, and she’ll use everything and everyone at her disposal, from social media stalking to the kindness of unsuspecting strangers, to get where she needs to go. It’s not long before she’s ready for the main event: armed with a new identity and a new purpose, she heads to Gunnison, Colorado, preparing herself to meet her future husband among the wealthy vacationers.
Even the smallest misstep could derail this carefully-laid plan, and in the end, can you ever truly outrun your past? The First Shot is an absorbing, binge-able thriller that shows just how far some will go to build the lives they want.
This is the prequel to The Last Mrs Parish and I absolutely loved that book. This was very good too getting a bit on how Lana/ Amber started and her first victim! I really love Liv. Constantine’s writing style.
Kindle
The First Shot ( Last Mrs Parish 0.5)
By Liv Constantine
In this gripping prequel to the blockbuster best seller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish, listeners will discover exactly how Amber Patterson transformed from small-town girl to master manipulator - after all, practice makes perfect.
Amber Patterson has many secrets. This much is clear when she sneaks out of her home in the dead of night and hitchhikes across state lines to meet up with a man she hasn’t seen or spoken to since high school graduation. So begins her desperate attempt to leave her old life behind, and she’ll use everything and everyone at her disposal, from social media stalking to the kindness of unsuspecting strangers, to get where she needs to go. It’s not long before she’s ready for the main event: armed with a new identity and a new purpose, she heads to Gunnison, Colorado, preparing herself to meet her future husband among the wealthy vacationers.
Even the smallest misstep could derail this carefully-laid plan, and in the end, can you ever truly outrun your past? The First Shot is an absorbing, binge-able thriller that shows just how far some will go to build the lives they want.
This is the prequel to The Last Mrs Parish and I absolutely loved that book. This was very good too getting a bit on how Lana/ Amber started and her first victim! I really love Liv. Constantine’s writing style.
Merissa (13619 KP) rated His Compass (His Contemporary MM Romance #2) in Books
Jan 15, 2021 (Updated Aug 7, 2023)
HIS COMPASS is the second book in the HIS series but can be read as a standalone although previous characters are mentioned.
This time we focus on Tom and Nick. Tom is the skipper of the Aphrodite and Nick is a deckhand who disappeared without a word, leaving Tom to his all-too-frequent thoughts of Nick. Tom starts off harsh with Nick when he reappears in his life, but you can understand it. However, from snippets you get from Nick before Tom shuts him up, you realise that something is... not wrong with Nick, but different. When it is just the two of them, Nick shows Tom a different side to him, which impresses Tom for a number of reasons.
I loved the slow burn of this book, even though things get a bit steamy quickly. Trust me, if you read the book, it does make sense. The different settings are all gorgeous and described to perfection. Even if you've never been to any of the places mentioned, you will be able to visualise them easily.
The epilogue was perfect, both for the story and for Tom and Nick themselves. This is a well-written contemporary romance, rich with information and details that present them to you in a way that will keep you turning the pages. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 15, 2021
This time we focus on Tom and Nick. Tom is the skipper of the Aphrodite and Nick is a deckhand who disappeared without a word, leaving Tom to his all-too-frequent thoughts of Nick. Tom starts off harsh with Nick when he reappears in his life, but you can understand it. However, from snippets you get from Nick before Tom shuts him up, you realise that something is... not wrong with Nick, but different. When it is just the two of them, Nick shows Tom a different side to him, which impresses Tom for a number of reasons.
I loved the slow burn of this book, even though things get a bit steamy quickly. Trust me, if you read the book, it does make sense. The different settings are all gorgeous and described to perfection. Even if you've never been to any of the places mentioned, you will be able to visualise them easily.
The epilogue was perfect, both for the story and for Tom and Nick themselves. This is a well-written contemporary romance, rich with information and details that present them to you in a way that will keep you turning the pages. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 15, 2021
Sarah (7800 KP) Nov 18, 2020
Dean (6927 KP) Nov 18, 2020